What are nursing concerns associated with IV administration of insulin?
You would not want the patient to become hypoglycemic because too much insulin was administered. Patients may start getting sweaty, confused, feeling nauseous, begin shaking, or experiencing decreased level of consciousness when their blood sugar becomes too low.
What are nursing considerations for insulin?
Monitor patient’s food intake and exercise and activities to ensure therapeutic effect and avoid hypoglycemia. Monitor patient’s sensory losses to incorporate his or her needs into safety issues, as well as potential problems in drawing up and administering insulin.
How do you administer IV insulin?
Mix 250 units of regular human insulin in 250 mL of normal saline (1 U/mL). Flush approximately 30 mL through the line prior to administration. Do not use a filter or filtered set with insulin. Piggyback the insulin drip into intravenous fluid using an intravenous infusion pump with a capability of 0.1 mL/hr.
When should a patient be on insulin drip?
All four sets of guidelines recommend initiating insulin therapy in patients with persistent hyperglycemia (blood glucose > 180 mg/dl). After insulin is initiated, the target blood glucose range should be 140-180 mg/dl for the majority of patients.
How do nurses give insulin shots?
The optimal sequence for injection technique should be:
- Make a lifted skin fold if necessary;
- Insert the needle into the skin at a 90° angle;
- Administer insulin;
- Leave the needle in the skin for at least 10 seconds after the insulin has been injected;
- Withdraw the needle from the skin;
What are the contraindications of insulin?
CONTRAINDICATIONS / PRECAUTIONS
- Diarrhea, fever, infection, surgery, thyroid disease, trauma, vomiting.
- Hepatic disease, renal failure, renal impairment.
- Intramuscular administration, intravenous administration.
- Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) administration.
- Hypoglycemia.
- Hypokalemia.
- Cresol hypersensitivity.
When do you give insulin IV?
The nurse notifies the physician if:
- Glucose level is less than 60 mg/dl for two consecutive readings.
- Glucose level is more than 200 mg/dl for two consecutive readings.
- Insulin requirement exceeds 24 units/hour.
- Patient’s potassium level drops below 4 mmol/L.
Which insulin can be administered through intravenous infusion?
The only type of insulin that is given intravenously is human regular insulin. A rapid-acting insulin analog is unnecessary in intravenous insulin administration because the insulin is delivered directly into the bloodstream and takes immediate effect.
Why is insulin administered intravenously?
Intravenous insulin acts rapidly and lasts for a very short duration in the body. To maintain the desired glucose levels in the blood, insulin is infused continuously with appropriate dosage titrations depending on the blood sugar level.
Why is IV insulin given in DKA?
Treatment of DKA with intravenous insulin Insulin administration is essential in DKA treatment because it promotes glucose utilization by peripheral tissues, diminishes glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, and suppresses ketogenesis. Intravenous infusion is a preferred route of insulin delivery in patients with DKA.
How does an IV insulin infusion work for diabetes?
Commonly patients are treated with a bolus of regular insulin IV and then placed on an insulin infusion based on their weight (maybe 6 units per hour). The patient’s blood sugar is monitored hourly and the insulin dosage is adjusted based on the drop in the blood sugar.
What did you learn in nursing school about insulin?
In nursing school, many of us learned “clear to cloudy.” Although this is an easy way to remember how to mix insulin, it’s important to understand the principles behind it to decrease errors and make insulin administration safer. Keep in mind that rapid- or short-acting insulin is clear and intermediate-acting insulin is cloudy.
How many units of insulin can you give in an IV?
A common order might be to administer one amp (50 mL) of D50 and 10 units of insulin both given IV push. Hypoglycemia: One of the obvious labs that you must monitor very closely when administering IV insulin is the patient’s glucose.
When to discontinue an IV insulin infusion?
If the infusion is interrupted or stopped, the physician also needs notified. Once the patient’s blood glucose levels have stabilized and their overall condition begins improving, discontinuation of the insulin infusion should be considered. The patient can be converted from IV insulin to subcutaneous (SQ) insulin administration.